Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Voyage: Granada

From the minute we started driving down the winding streets into Granada, we knew we'd be in love. There's just something about hilly cities filled with tiny windy cobblestone streets, white buildings, gorgeous views... We had decided to stay in a cave home in the Sacromonte neighborhood, filled with gypsies and bohemians, right up our alley. Unfortunately, we didn't take into account that our huge rental van wouldn't make it up the streets and we don't exactly pack light. After an embarrassing parade up and through the aforementioned windy cobblestone streets, we almost gave up and just left our luggage. Miraculously we made it but we spent the next couple of days strategizing how we would get it all back, considering the suitcases were getting heavier after every city we visited, filling up with new treasures at every stop.

Once we made it into our cave, it was all worth it. Quite the experience!

We freshened up and went out to explore, falling in love with our little neighborhood every step of the way...

Along the way, we walked by one of the many flamenco caves and on a whim, bought tickets for a show later that night. It turns out the owner, Martin, lived in California for 20 years so we quickly became his new best friends. He invited us back the following night, where we enjoyed another show along with him. He had a table for us right up front and brought out the bottles of cava, so sweet. It was there that we learned his mother was a flamenco dancer who owned the cave and she told him that if he did not return back to Granada, he would lose it all. He spent the whole night reminiscing with us about California with longing in his eyes, all the meanwhile, we were sitting there dreaming of moving to Granada. The grass is always greener, no?

We've seen flamenco shows here but honestly, nothing compares to seeing one in Granada in a cave. The acoustics in the cave were phenomenal, the dancers were amazing and we felt like we had infiltrated their own private jam session, filled with improvisation. We loved watching them get excited with the other's moves, shouting out and encouraging each other on. They were like a little family, playing each night together, seemingly oblivious to the crowds, and each night we would watch them hike up the hills with us back to their homes in Sacramonte.